Denver Broncos defensive end Elvis Dumervil had to be released after a contract gaffe. / Ron Chenoy, USA TODAY Sports

by Mike Garafolo, USA TODAY Sports

by Mike Garafolo, USA TODAY Sports

The Denver Broncos are considering asking defensive end Elvis Dumervil to take a pay cut from his $12 million salary, a person informed of the team's thinking said.

The person, who spoke to USA TODAY Sports on condition of anonymity, said it's not a matter of picking up room under the salary cap (the team is about $5 million under the cap after putting the franchise tag on tackle Ryan Clady) and wouldn't be a simple base salary-to-bonus conversion. It would be a pay cut.

In other words, it's cash, not the cap.

The person spoke to USA TODAY Sports on the condition of anonymity because the team hasn't yet made a formal request for a pay cut.

Dumervil, 29, has made the Pro Bowl in three of the last four seasons and had 11 sacks this past year. He's signed through 2015, so he'd likely resist any suggestion of a cut in pay.

Why the possible pay-cut request?

Dumervil's sack numbers have declined (relative to his pay), even though being paired with Von Miller has cut down on Dumervil's double teams.

And the team believes he is a liability against the run, while also having trouble staying healthy. Dumervil tore a pectoral muscle in camp after signing the contract in 2010, and has had shoulder and ankle issues in the past two years.